Harman the hawk
James Forsyth 6:20pm
Harriet Harman’s response to David Cameron’s statement on the G8 and G20 was
noticeable for her attacking the Prime Minister for talking about bringing British troops home from Afghanistan within five years. Her criticism was that talking about withdrawal undermined the
troops in the field, she sounded more like John McCain than I ever expected Harriet Harman to. She chose to reinforce her point by using quotes from Liam Fox about the effect that timelines have on
military morale.
Her use of the Fox quotes suggests that Labour see the Cameron Fox relationship as a weak point in the government. Certainly, Ben Brogan’s blog and Conservative Home’s description of the link between the PM and the Defence Secretary as the ‘Cabinet’s most troubled relationship’ have got people talking at Westminster.
Certainly, it is true that No 10 was not expecting Fox to announce the departure of the Chief of the Defence staff in a newspaper interview and were furious that he did so. There are also several people around Cameron who have a low opinion of Fox and have, in the past, not made much of a secret of that.
Fox is delivering a speech in Washington tomorrow on Afghanistan. I suspect many commentators will read it looking for evidence of a split between Fox and the home within five years position Cameron repeated at the weekend. The government should make sure that no one can find that. Otherwise, the Cameron Fox relationship will come under yet more scrutiny.
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Naomi Muse
June 28th, 2010 6:39pm Report this commentLiam Fox will either learn to work as part of the cabinet team or not. If he does then Terrier Harriet won't get a look in, but if he doesn't then he will be back on the back benches, je suspect.
jaybs
June 28th, 2010 6:45pm Report this commentWhat a pitiful performance again from Harman, she can only ever read from a full worded script and she can't even deliver that properly.
Fatbloke on tour
June 28th, 2010 6:54pm Report this commentLiam Fox isn't posh enough to make it onto Sam the Bolter's guest list.
When Sniffy manages to "fire up the chainsaw, for a little slash and burn" on the MOD the Army will need a police escort to go into battle, the Navy will be the size and capabilities of the Fishery Protection squadron and the RAF will be an employment agency for Ryanair.
Dave the Rave will be worse than Neville C.
TGF UKIP
June 28th, 2010 7:02pm Report this commentRecalling all the aggro the Tory Left gave IDS and Hague, especially backstabber and Cliquist Maude, good for Liam Fox. He should have resigned to embarrass Disaster Dave a couple of years ago, but I trust he will continue to cause the Clique as much trouble as possible from now.
Clear Memories
June 28th, 2010 9:36pm Report this commentLets be honest, there's not an original thought in that warped little head. As a committed socialist (as they all should be) her only instinct is to attack any opposition. No thoughts, no alternatives, no brains involved.
Quite happy to compromise any beliefs buried in her head to get her old man elected, of course she will spout warmongering rhetoric if that is anti-Tory without a thought for the message she sends out.
What a dumb cow.
Victor Southern
June 28th, 2010 10:23pm Report this commentHarriet the Harrier?
I see that Fatbloke is back with his own special and incomprehensible code. He has the UKipper working hard to keep up.
Cameron should be really worried by the fact that extremists on both wings disapprove of his actions.
TrevorsDen
June 28th, 2010 10:59pm Report this commentcan somebody tell me who fathead is talking about?
Tiberius
June 28th, 2010 11:43pm Report this commentThe corpulent one is merely bored because England are out of the World Cup.
Major Plonquer 1
June 29th, 2010 3:08am Report this commentFirst Labour ban foxhunting. Now that's all they can talk about. Surely it's a trivial matter to out-fox our Hattie?
revolution
June 29th, 2010 5:23am Report this commentHarman pretended not to know why Gordon Brown had given Fred the shred Goodwin his knighthood for services to banking?
She has also never explained how her husband Jack Drommey won the all women shortlist?
What must her toff parents have thought when she brought Drommey home?
Rhoda Klapp
June 29th, 2010 7:41am Report this commentSo over 50% of the electorate want us out, but the Libdems are being obliged to shut up, the tories want us to stay, and the opposition's tactic is to say we ought to stay longer. If no-one in parliament will oppose, how can the case be made either way? Democracy, failed again.
TomTom
June 29th, 2010 9:31am Report this commentUntil 6 weeks ago Harman had the power to decide when British troops withdrew. That she has never commented before on this subject shows she was a committed supporter of the Blair line on Iraq and Afghanistan but wanted it done on the cheap with few soldiers and undersupply.
I have not heard Harman complain that women are not being rendered limbless or dead and it is discriminatory, nor how she feels about military hospitals. I keep scouting car boot sales for her memoirs but the loose-leaf file hasn't turned up yet
2trueblue
June 29th, 2010 1:09pm Report this commentDoes anything Hattie utters matter? She is vacuous, her brain is not in gear before her mouth operates.
Verity
June 29th, 2010 3:37pm Report this commentTom Tom - Ha ha ha!
Osred
June 29th, 2010 3:54pm Report this commentI agree with Harriet. The whole situation is just so beastly and that cad Fox should jolly well do something about it, as they say down Peckham way.
As for dromey and all wimmin short lists - maybe he is a woman trapped inside a mans body, and maybe Hattie feels the same..
Insider
June 29th, 2010 4:14pm Report this commentFatbloke; are you in the Armed Forces? No, thought not. I am so why don't you STFU with your left wing, ill-informed drivel. The defence budget is grossly overheated due to LABOUR not Fox or Cameron. Do one loser.
Kennybhoy
June 29th, 2010 5:38pm Report this commentOsred wrote:
"As for dromey and all wimmin short lists - maybe he is a woman trapped inside a mans body, and maybe Hattie feels the same.."
Oh ye gods man, what a grotesque image! Industrial strength Brain Bleach please! ROTFLOL!!
Bruce
June 30th, 2010 9:43am Report this commentthe Dc Fox tensions are ideal. give the opposition and the media something to talk about. Keeps them off other relationships. This is the least important relationship in government and using Fox as a lightning conductor is brilliant (pun intended). After the DSR it makes the really big cuts needed much easier. The post cold war shambles of wrong equipment and Labour's overspend on pointless carriers and submarines to be built in Labour constituencies needs to be tackled. Big spending department ideal for making large cuts. Add in the DC Fox tension and it keeps all the media happy and dflected.
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